Sourdough Pull Apart Rolls
These sourdough pull apart rolls are soft and airy with a wonderful hint of tang.
When I started baking with sourdough, I made a wonderful discovery: sourdough takes your favorite recipes to the next level. It enhances the flavors and textures of most baked goods. For example, sourdough pie crust is so flaky and delightfully tangy. Sourdough sandwich bread has a depth of flavor that just isn't there with regular yeast bread. Sourdough waffles are simply sublime.
The same is true for these sourdough pull apart rolls. They're super soft and fluffy, and that hint of tang just adds an extra something special. These are perfect for all of your holiday needs (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, you name it!).
Okay, now let me show you how to make these rolls!
How to Make Sourdough Pull Apart Rolls
Firstly, you want to ensure that your sourdough starter is ready to go. About 8 hours before you plan on mixing together the dough for these rolls, feed your sourdough starter. I keep mine at 100% hydration, which means that I feed it with equal weights, not volumes, of flour and water. If you're new to sourdough baking, you can always purchase a starter online, or refer to my How to Make a Sourdough Starter From Scratch post.
You know when your starter is ready when it doubles in volume and passes the float test. Drop a small amount of your starter into a cup of water. So if it floats, you're good to go!
Now it's time to mix up the dough for these sourdough pull apart rolls!
Place all of the ingredients for the dough in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed until the dough is quite elastic, about 10-15 minutes.
Transfer to a buttered bowl and allow to rise at room temperature for 8-12 hours. You want it to double in bulk. But how long this takes will vary depending on how active your starter is and how warm your kitchen is.
Plop the dough out onto a work surface.
Forming the Dough Into Rolls
Divide into 16 equal pieces. I find it handy to weigh all of the dough first, divide that by 16, and portion out the pieces that way. For example, each of these pieces weighed about 64 grams.
To shape these sourdough pull apart rolls, grab the corners of a piece of dough. Pull them towards the center.
Flip the ball over so it's seam side down. Roll the dough on an ungreased work surface, creating surface tension.
Next, place the formed balls into a buttered 13x9-inch baking dish. As you can see, I decided to squish one of the balls in between 4 others. If you want them to fit in the pan perfectly, you can form them into 15 instead of 16 rolls. Then you can arrange them in the pan with 3 buns going the short way and 5 buns going the long way.
After that, cover them with a tea towel and let rise for 6-8 hours.
You want the buns to be quite puffy and fill the pan.
Baking/Serving Sourdough Pull Apart Rolls
Bake in a preheated 375° F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until deep golden brown. One challenge with sourdough is ensuring that it gets baked enough. I like to insert an instant-read thermometer into the center of one of the buns. It should register 200° F.
After that, remove the sourdough pull apart rolls from the oven and brush the tops with melted butter.
Serve warm with MORE butter spread on the inside.
It's so fluffy I'm going to diiiiieee! Sorry, it had to be said.
Since these sourdough pull apart rolls are naturally leavened, they take quite a bit longer to rise than rolls made with commercial yeast. Plan to start making them around 24 hours before you want to serve them.
Here's a couple of sample baking schedules:
If you want to serve these rolls at noon (this works best in a cool kitchen):
- 2 nights before you plan on serving the rolls, feed your sourdough starter right before you go to bed.
- The next morning at around 10:00, mix together the dough. Let rise 12 hours.
- That evening, before going to bed, form the dough into rolls. Let rise overnight.
- The next morning, bake the rolls once they rise to fill the pan.
If you want to serve these rolls in the evening (this could also work for serving at noon if your kitchen is really warm):
- The afternoon before you want to serve the rolls, feed your sourdough starter.
- That evening, just before bed, mix together the dough. Let rise overnight until doubled.
- The next morning, form the dough into rolls. Let rise 6-8 hours.
- Bake once the rolls fill the pan.
NOTE: If you're squeamish about letting dough sit out at room temperature because contains milk and eggs, you can always let the dough rise in the refrigerator instead. You'll need to add several hours to the rise time if you choose that method.
Here's a Step-by-Step Video for You:
P.S. I have joined up with a bunch of blogger friends for a Friendsgiving Virtual Potluck!
My friend Julie from The Little Kitchen invited me to her virtual Friendsgiving Potluck, and of course I wanted to join in the fun! Be sure to check the recipes below out for wonderful Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving recipe and craft ideas - you might find a new favorite!
Appetizers
Baked Brie with Honey & Walnuts from Kelley of Mountain Mama Cooks
Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball Bites from Nicole of I am a Honey Bee
Reindeer Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball from Julie of Julie Blanner
Salads
Sauteed Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts from Shashi of Savory Spin
Creamy Brussels Sprouts Salad from Faith of An Edible Mosaic
Main Dishes
Savory Vegetable Crisp from Bree of Baked Bree
Rosemary Lamb Steaks from Danyelle of The Cubicle Chick
Turkey Pot Pie from Kelly of Eat Picks
Side Dishes
Fried Brussels Sprouts from Erin of The Almond Eater
Cheesy Horseradish Mashed Potato Casserole from Renee of Kudos Kitchen by Renee
Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip from April of April Golightly
Sauteed Garlic-Butter Mushrooms from Linda of Simply Healthyish Recipes
Easy Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole Recipe from Mel of Adventures of Mel
Cornbread Stuffing with Chorizo from Isabel of Isabel Eats
Bacon Brussels Sprouts from Kara of Kara J. Miller
Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole from Jennifer of Show Me the Yummy
Amazing Gluten Free Thanksgiving Stuffing from Sommer of A Spicy Perspective
Pumpkin Caramelized Onion Gratin from Denise of Chez Us
Crockpot Mac & Cheese from Leanette Fernandez of Funtastic Life
Cheesy Brussels Sprouts au Gratin from Rachel Gurk of Rachel Cooks
Drinks
Spiced Pumpkin Margarita from Sharon of Cupcakes and Cutlery
Breads
Sourdough Pull Apart Rolls from Erica of Buttered Side Up
How to Make Homemade Butterhorn Rolls from Mel of Flour on My Fingers
Sweet Dinner Rolls from Jocelyn of Grandbaby Cakes
Parker House Rolls from Irvin of Eat the Love
Desserts
Sugar Pie from Julie of The Little Kitchen
Oatmeal Apple Crisp from Julie of Peanut Butter Fingers
Pumpkin Pie Milkshake from Eden of Sugar and Charm
Strudel Pastry from Justine of The Typical Mom
Tahini Hawaij Pumpkin Pie from Amy of What Jew Wanna Eat
Turkey Cookies from Meaghan of The Decorated Cookie
Mini Apple Pie Bites from Lynsey of MoscatoMom
Kabocha squash pie from Hilah of hilahcooking
Pecan Pie Cupcakes from Courtney of Pizzazzerie
Coconut Cream Pie from Schnelle of Brooklyn Active Mama
Chocolate chip cheesecake from Jeannette of Hispana Global
Chocolate Pecan Pie from Kate of I Heart Eating
Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes from Chelsea of Someday I'll Learn
Cinnamon Apple Crisp from Erica of The Crumby Kitchen
Turkey Donut Race Cars For Thanksgiving Treats from Theresa of Chewable Structures
Crafts and Centerpieces
Cinnamon Stick Holiday Candle Place Setting from Alli of Made with HAPPY
Metallic Pumpkin Luminaries from Amy of As The Bunny Hops
Easy centerpiece that will stun + party favor from Noelle of Oh Happy Play
Sourdough Pull Apart Rolls
Pull apart rolls get an upgrade with sourdough starter!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup whole milk, warm (105°F)
- 1 cup active sourdough starter (220 grams) - see note
- 3 ½ cups organic all-purpose flour (465 grams)
- ¼ cup grass-fed butter, melted
- ¼ cup raw honey
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoon unrefined sea salt
- 1 tablespoon grass-fed butter, melted (for brushing tops of buns)
Instructions
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Place all dough ingredients in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until a rough dough forms. Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed until the dough is quite elastic, about 10-15 minutes. Resist the urge to add more flour - you want the dough to be very soft.
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Transfer the dough to a large, buttered bowl. Cover and allow to rise at room temperature for 8-12 hours, or until doubled.
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Gently deflate the dough and divide it into 16 equal pieces. Grab the corners of one of the pieces and pull it towards the middle. Roll the ball, seam side down, on your work surface to create surface tension. Place in a buttered 13x9-inch baking dish. Repeat with the remaining dough.
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Cover the pan and allow to rise at room temperature for 6-8 hours, or until the rolls are quite puffy and fill the pan.
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30 minutes before you plan on baking the rolls, preheat your oven to 375° F. Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes, or until they're deep golden brown and register 200° F when an instant read thermometer is inserted into the center of a roll.
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Remove from oven and brush the tops of the rolls with the melted butter. Serve warm with grass-fed butter.
Recipe Notes
An active sourdough starter means that it has been fed 8-12 hours beforehand and is bubbly and passes the float test.
Thanks Erica for the receipe. Rolls look amazing. I had a question - can we replace eggs with anything else or skip it as due to lockdown Iam short of eggs and can't go to get it. Can you please suggest .
Thanking in advance
You should be able to skip using the eggs - maybe add a tablespoon or two of extra milk? The dough will probably not be quite as soft, but it should still work.
Hey, the dinner rolls looks amazing, can i replace the egg with something or skip it totally? as i'm allergic to them.
You should be able to leave the egg out and just increase the amount of milk by a tablespoon or two. The rolls might not be quite as soft, but the recipe should still work!
Okay thanks!
I forgot to let it rise second time and baked it. Can it still rise at this point? Mine sure does not look as beautiful as yours.
Hey Dlow,
Unfortunately, once sourdough is baked it can't rise any more. The heat of the oven kills the yeast and good bacteria that's needed to help the dough rise. So unless you baked it for only 5 minutes or less, it's toast. I would suggest using the rolls for French toast casserole. Simply Recipes has a fantastic recipe. I'd like to share my version here some day!
Hi Erica, the recipe worked very well until the final test... taste! They rose wonderfully, baked perfectly, but they were way too sour? I bulk fermented overnight, shaped then left for the day & baked after work. Maybe about 20 hours in total. I’m thinking this was too long? I might try the bulk ferment in the fridge next time?
Hi Jamie,
How long did your initial starter ferment before you used it? Sometimes if you use a very mature starter, that can affect how sour your final dough is. Also, how warm is your kitchen? Sometimes a very warm environment can encourage a sour flavor. So your idea to let the dough bulk rise in the fridge would probably be a good thing to try!
Such a great recipe! And amazing instructions and tips!
I just have one question: I am letting them rise right now but I am a bit worried they will get dry at the top, but maybe they won’t. If they do start getting dry should I add something on the top?
Thank you again for the recipe!
Here are some suggestions if you encounter dry tops:
*Mist with water when they get dry.
*Use a damp tea towel to cover them.
*Brush with butter or oil before proofing (if you cover with a tea towel, it might get grease marks on it).
Hope that helps!
Thanks for the recipe . It was delicious and the famillyenjoyed it. I made chicken cutlets and made them into a burger..
With no yeast in stores . I had sourdough available and your recipe was just the perfect one iI was looking for.
I will be trying the sourdough pancake recipe sometime this week. Can't wait!
Thank you!!
Ooooh...chicken cutlets as burgers sounds yummy!
Hope you enjoy the sourdough pancakes! ❤
I tried this and the rolls are wonderful! Thanks for sharing with us, Erica! This will be the go-to recipe for us definitely. I will be trying out other recipes on your site 🙂 It took 6hrs and 2hrs of proofing and 13mins baking to achieve the buns but I live in the tropics.
So happy you enjoyed them, Christin! Thank you for sharing the rising times you used - it does vary so much based on where you live and how warm your kitchen is!
Yes we do. Yes, it’s much warmer here, being near to the equator. Today I did another round but putting in some freshly desiccated coconut. 🙂
Hi there! Thank you for this recipe! I was wondering if I can replace some of the AP flour with whole wheat and if so, how much of it? Trying to incorporate more whole wheat in our breads.
I'm actually just starting to experiment with using whole wheat in sourdough baking. I did a TON of whole wheat baking as a teen, but not much with sourdough.
I would suggest starting by replacing 1/4 of the flour with whole wheat flour, then go to 1/2, 3/4, and maybe even 100% eventually. I just replaced 1/2 of the flour with ww in one of my favorite sourdough bread recipes, and it turned out great!
One thing to note: the "bugs" in sourdough tend to really like whole wheat flour, so the rising time might actually be shorter. Also, the final result may be more sour than if you use all white flour.
Hope that helps!
Please suggest egg replacement in this recipe
A lady over on Instagram made my sourdough sandwich bread with a flax egg: https://www.instagram.com/p/B_Opwx7Ja1B/
I think you could safely leave the egg out and replace it with 2 tablespoons or so of milk. The final result may be less soft, but the recipe should still work.
Can you freeze the dough after the first rise and shaping to thaw, proof and bake at a later date?
I haven't had a lot of success with freezing sourdough, but that was with cinnamon rolls. I would say it would be worth a try, but no guarantees!
Can’t wait to make these for Mother’s Day dinner! We don’t have milk... could I just use water? Or should I go get some milk ?
Aw, how fun that you're making these for Mother's Day! Water will definitely work, but the rolls might not be quite as soft. Also, dairy products tend to retard a starter, so the final result might be more sour if you use water instead.
Making these for Mother's Day and so far it looks perfect ! Only thing is next time I'm going to divide the doubled dough into 15 instead of 16 so that it nicely fits the 13x9. I have a random roll stuffed in between 2 others right now. I guess it's proof that it's home made!
I did that too - I nestled the last one between the other rolls. For the video I did 15, and that worked out better. That's more difficult to divide evenly without a scale, though!
I realized after that both in your forward and video that you already addressed the 15 vs 16 rolls - my bad, I just went straight to the recipe!!
Either way these turned out seriously delicious, fluffy, and a had nice hint of sourness. Most importantly I felt proud for making my first pull apart dinner rolls ever for my mother - with my well cared for sourdough starter nonetheless!! Thanks for this recipe 🙂
I totally do that as well - skip the notes and just make the recipe. 🙂 So happy you enjoyed them, Darel! And that's so cool that you were able to share them with your mom.
This recipe looks great! Do you think it would work with 2% milk? Or should I head to the store to get whole milk? Thank you!
It will work with 2%, though it might not be quite as soft. If you have cream on hand, you could use 1/4 cup cream and 1/2 cup of 2%, or 2 T cream and 10 T 2% milk.
thank you! the 2% worked! my dough was sooo sticky though, it was hard to get them to form balls. i am surprised my rolls didn’t end up melding into one big blob! next time maybe i will add a bit more flour? (my starter is fed equal weights flour and water, so i think the hydration should have been fine for this recipe?)
Hi Allie,
Yes, I would recommend adjusting the flour. The somewhat frustrating thing about bread dough is it's kind of finicky. One day 3 1/2 cups of flour might be the perfect amount, and another day it might be too much or too little. The humidity of your house can really affect this. So I would recommend watching the video and observing how wet my dough looks, and trying to emulate that. Another thing that can push your dough to the sticky side is overfermentation. As the yeast and bacteria work their magic, they tend to make the dough stickier and more slack. So if the dough ferments for a long time after it doubles in bulk, it might get stickier than you intended!
thank you for the suggestions! can’t wait to try this recipe again!
These were great. Nice and fluffy with a sour tang. Some things that may help others.
1. I am not a morning person, so I put the rolls in the fridge overnight then took them out in the morning to proof in the day and cook right before dinner. The fridge time makes the rise slow down so it make the rolls have MORE sour flavor. **I did butter cling film and use that to cover.
2. To get some lift in the oven, put 2-3 ice cubes on the bottom of the oven right when you add the rolls. This makes steam which will keep the crust soft so the rolls can rise when baking. Once the ice melts the steam stops and your crust will harden and brown. It's why sourdough bakers usually use a dutch oven with a lid, that traps steam.
I will be making these again. The family thought they were better then the normal yeast versions.
Thank you so much for your review and tips, Nicole! Yeah, we almost always think the sourdough version is better than the "regular" version. ?
Hi, would like to ask if I could use bread flour (>12% protein) instead of AP flour? Thank you!
Yes, that should work fine. Maybe start with less flour, and work up until you achieve the consistency that is shown in the photos.
Hi these look amazing. I was wondering how well do these keep stored and how best to store them?
They should keep for about a week stored at room temperature. I like to keep mine in a zippered plastic storage bag or a glass container with a lid. Make sure to watch out for too much moisture on the rolls - that could be a mold hazard!
I find that keeping bread in the fridge dries it out, but you could store it there if you need it to keep a little longer. And you can also store it in the freezer for even longer-term storage.
Loved these so much! Thank you! Have you tried freezing after the last rise to bake at a later time after brining to room temp?
I haven't tried that yet, but I think I'll have to since I've gotten questions about that! ❤